Day of Diversion
by Call-Me-Cloud
Summary: Tifa is keeping something from Cloud. Actually, all of his friends are keeping a secret from him. Cloud eventually finds out what they've been hiding from him.


Cloud Strife rarely said what was on his mind, and even more so, hardly ever expressed it on his face, except his glowing blue eyes. This time, however, he couldn't help but feel a twitch in his eyebrows, as he ate his breakfast of oatmeal and raisins with some butter toast. A twinge of disappointment with a mixture of confusion and something along the lines of joy traveled throughout his body…but why? Disappointment? Confusion? And joy...? What a strange combination this was. It was something important; he felt it was something he should have remembered but, he couldn't pin the thought. He felt a need to figure out the cause of this sudden awaking in him but shrugged it off and continued on with his meal and read newspaper the kids have given him, half-interested. It was something about some electric company from way-back-when.

The former president of the Shin-Ra Electric Company had been under much scrutiny after a run-in with a group of rogue and mutated soldiers, called Deep Ground, a few weeks before; the public demanded answers. The company had once been the world's power-house and controlled the most of the western continent equipped with its own mock personal military, but eventually it collapsed under its base of deceit and corruption. Cloud could care less; he knew what the company truly was and the secrets it hid. Nevermind; he wasn't even half-interested anymore and slid the paper aside the bar counter distastefully, taking a swig of his chocolate milk.

"Not interested," he mumbled to himself.

Lately, Cloud nonchalantly had helped Tifa and the kids around the 7th Heaven tavern for the past few weeks with Fenrir out of commission, at least until he saved some money. Fenrir had acquired severe exterior damage in the wake of the showdown with Deepground. It had crashed on its own accord into some of the ruins of Midgar after he had to abandon it to fight Rosso the Crimson, as she called herself, of the Tvseits, one of the five elites of Deepground.

After all was said and done, Cloud then only went to look for his missing motorcycle. What a sight it was for him; at first, he believed it had became nothing but shrapnel, mangled among the metal trash, but Reeve and his team of World Regenesis Organization soldiers were able to drag its remains from the heap in all one piece.

Well mostly.

Now Fenrir just sat idly outside in the alleyway of the bar. Sometimes after Cloud returned home from errands, he would stop in front of the motorcycle's pieces and linger for a moment, shaking his head and inwardly sighing. Each day he noticed a small component or a piece of steel missing. Everyone wanted some kind of relic from the great of the Cloud Strife who saved Edge and possibly the world, even if that something came from a chunk of his motorcycle. Hopefully, no one had noticed it as one of his weaker and fragile moments.

Cloud still did deliveries here and there; business for Strife Delivery Service was booming and wasn't about to slow down. He continued the delivery service with the rentals of other automobiles and the occasional chocobo, but it wasn't same thrill he got from the pure machine Fenrir was; it wasn't just a machine but also power and dependability. He knew he could always count on the black, sleek mammoth of a motorcycle to get him almost anywhere and fast, through nearly every terrain. He felt chained and… shackled and restrained from going anywhere outside the city. He sighed. Although, he didn't mind spending time with his family, he liked having the open road to free up his mind and feel the fresh air against his skin. It was his haven and luxury. He sighed again.

Thoughtfully, Cloud looked up at the back-door of the bar, leading to the alley-way. He felt ashamed for feeling such sloth and selfishness for himself. His deliveries still needed to be done, but he needed to be doing something…something exciting. His life had been full of complexity and a constant struggle for survival, that simply slowing down was not integrated into his lifestyle. Just something to get the adrenaline pumping through his veins, rather than just returning to the bar to listen to the drunkards tell their sob-stories; he wasn't one for consoling.

_Anything!_Cloud thought. He sighed once more.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked, wiping her hands on a dish cloth after putting the last plate in the dish tray to dry. She laid a damp hand on his. His eye caught the wedding band on her finger as it still glistened with the traces of water lingering on its golden surface.

Cloud looked into her face, her ruby eyes full of concern, "Something's wrong. You seem to have something on your mind." She always knew when something was tugging on his thoughts.

"It's nothing. Really," he muttered the sound of his voice barely convincing._ I won't try to lie about it, I know she'll would keep bickering me about the problem, until she gets a straight answer. _

"Uh huh, you really expect me to believe that, Cloud Strife? You're always busy in that head of yours. Try harder to persuade me," she giggled, trying to lighten his mood.

"You're just too good, you can read me just like a novel," she smiled at his comment, sarcasm tinting his voice, then he added, "or maybe I wasn't trying at all to persuade you."

"It's 'read me like a book' not a novel. You really had me going there for a second," she mocked with the same tone he had used.

Cloud lips played on the edge of a smile, but he held back.

"Guess," Cloud stated simply.

"It's one of those days, hm?" _'One of those days' meaning when reflected too deeply into certain things and wanted to be alone. She believed he'd never completely get over his past, but she would always be there to pick up the pieces of him._ She rested her chin on the palm of her hand, her other hand still nestled on his. Her features softened, searching into his serious eyes to find something that would give him away. Cloud hoped he wasn't being _too_serious.

"No, it's just...," his voice trailed off as his eyes swept over to the door again. Her eyes followed his; she glanced back over her shoulder, then looked back at Cloud.

"Are you going to tell me or not? 'Cause I will get my answer," she said sternly, like a mother scolding a child.

_Just like I said._

It was amusing sometimes to give Tifa the run-around, but Cloud didn't take her past her limit and risk worrying her more than he should. He had worried her enough in the past.

"It's about my bike," he said finally.

"Oh, I thought…I knew it'd probably bother you, but I thought you'd react differently," she said quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I've already told you about that, so don't worry about it. That can wait a little more time. I'm being impatient," he quickly started, feeling guilty looked off to the side. "I feel like I'm forgetting something important too."

"No, it's okay. You're not being impatient. I understand it gets boring around here," giving his hand a light squeeze. "Any idea what it could be?" Suddenly, he could hear a difference in her voice that made him uneasy. _Like she's nervous…?_

"No idea. Is something wrong?" Now _he_was gradually becoming concerned.

"Cloud…I don't know how to tell you this…"

_Oh, Gaia…_

"Well…it's about…um-" she shuffled unsteadily.

_She's pregnant! I'm not ready to be a father! Well…at least I don't think I am…Don't jump to conclusions._

"What is it?" He nearly sounded like he was pleading for her reply. He could feel his stomach churning in knots.

"You're gonna be-"

"A father!"

_Damn. Couldn't resist._

Cloud burst out suddenly unable keep the excitement contained any longer. A smile broke out across his face as he launched from his seat. Luckily, the tavern was closed; no one saw his outburst of joy.

"Cloud! No! Would let me finish? I was going to say…mad! You're gonna be mad!" She jut in, her cheeks ablaze, before he could continue. He quickly collected himself and slid onto a barstool. His full attention was on her, noticing a cute pink blush had spread across her face.

_Heh heh, jumped the gun…_

"Sorry...why would I be angry?" Cloud chuckled embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tifa eyed him skeptically, waiting for any other surprises from him, then her expression turned grim; she hugged her sides closely, she sighed.

"Apparently you haven't realized what today is and I'm assuming haven't seen what's missing from the alley. Cloud, the scrap pick-up came by last night while you were gone and took Fenrir…," she paused to look at him appearing as if trying to keep up a façade of a serious expression.

Cloud nodded for her to go on and turned his head off to his side, looking at the varnished floor. Had she expected him to be stunned? Shocked? Her odd facial expression through him off; he wondered what she was holding back.

_I'm probably thinking too much into it. Wait…what did she just say? Damnit, I knew I should've stored it somewhere…taken up the offer Cid had…ugh. It doesn't matter now. Fenrir's gone._Cloud thought to himself.

_He's taken this better than I thought , but he still doesn't know...?_

"By the time I woke up and realized what was happening, they were already done with the alley's trash. I'm sorry, Cloud," she continued, speaking sympathetically with a calm voice as if not to upset him, "will you be alright?"

Cloud looked and stared at the bar's shellac surface and into his reflection, as if in deep thought. He could imagine Fenrir being dragged into the back of the garbage truck by its fortified crushing jaws, closing in around its steel frame, and the sound of the metallic body as it was smashed into oblivion. He didn't even want to bother looking to see if the space Fenrir occupied was empty or not.

It seemed like an eternity before he answered, "It was just a bike." That's all it was. And it wasn't like he had not expected it to happen with the remains just sitting out in the open. Eventually someone would have done it. He got up suddenly swiftly moving towards the stairs leading to his office.

"You sure?" Tifa questioned worriedly as she ran around the bar counter in pursuit.

"Yeah. I'm gonna begin today's deliveries. I'll be leaving soon. Tell Marlene and Denzel I said 'hey' if I don't get back before Barret brings them home," Cloud mumbled reaching for the knob of his office door. He glanced behind him as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He had a gut feeling that something was up; his intuition never failed him.

_I shouldn't be upset… A motorcycle can be replaced. Worse things have happened to me. But…why do I feel like she's not telling me something._

"I'll start saving some money from tips and-"

"It's alright. There are other means of…transportation besides Fenrir. We need the money to be spent on more important things," Cloud said bluntly.

Tifa stood behind him for a moment, as if thinking of what to say next. Cloud twisted the knob and the door clicked open, a slit of sun-light cast itself onto the floor of the hallway. He waited. She took her hand away from his shoulder.

"Call me when you're coming home. Okay?"

Cloud stepped into the office and lightly patted his pants pocket. He turned towards Tifa who lingered in the doorway; he forced a weak smile.

"Don't I always?" And with that he gathered the day's deliveries slips and maps into his messenger bag.

* * *

><p>"Bye, son. You take care of yourself, don't go jumpin' into any weird green lookin' pools around here. They're not for swimmin' in," the old man smiled and waved as Cloud walked back to his chocobo.<p>

Cloud almost laughed at how ironic the old man's farewell was. Only about three years ago, he was trapped in a seemingly unrecoverable comatose of mako poisoning; now here he was, walking away from the very place his life was at a stand-still. He followed the dirt path that lead to the outskirts of the small town of Mideel. He needed one more delivery; and to his surprising, he had gotten most of them done before the sun begun to set to the west, which he was grateful for. He wondered if the kids were home from visiting Barret already. Tifa's strange behavior still ebbed at his thoughts.

Cloud mounted the golden chocobo's back and settled himself in the saddle uncomfortably. He debated calling Tifa to put his mind at ease but decided against it. Again, he felt in the wrong to suspect her of not filling him in on something and pushed his worries aside. She would tell him in good time. He slipped his hand into his pocket and felt for the last of the delivery slips; fumbling past his phone, he brought a crumpled paper out and read the name and the type of package.

Name: REEVE TSUESTI  
>Sender: ANONYMOUS - No Return Address<br>Location: MIDGAR-ZOLOM PEAKS / WORLD REGENESIS ORGANIZATION  
>Package Type: CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS<br>Delivery Method: STRIFE DELIVERY SERVICE

"That explains the extra package," Cloud quietly said to himself.

_Reeve? Classified documents?_

Tifa must've slipped this one delivery slip in on last minute, before he got home the last night, but why? She knew he planned out his routes a day in advance so he could decide what sort of transportation to take.

_Maybe this is what she wasn't telling me._

It seemed unlikely Reeve would receive anything by the means of a simple delivery boy…okay maybe not _that_simple, but even lest, classified documents? He glanced at his black messenger bag containing the manila folder. It seemed out of Reeve's character to send any type of package his way for that matter. He flicked out his cell phone and tapped in Reeve's number. It rang a number of times; Cloud was about to hang up when someone finally answered.

"W.R.O. Headquarters! H-hello?" It was a young female's voice. Cloud instantly recognized it.

"What are you doing with Reeve's phone, Yuffie?," Cloud questioned. He remembered when he received a prank call from her using Reeve's cell. It wasn't exactly his definition of 'funny'.

"Aw! I don't get a 'hi' or a 'how you doin'?' Geez, Cloud."

Cloud rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Nevermind. Where's Reeve? I need to speak with him," Yuffie sighed in exasperation.

"He's busy! Why are you so nosy?" She seemed distracted and paused, "Did you say something else? I wasn't listening. So what did you need again, spiky-butt?"

"I just asked for Reeve. And don't call me that." The kids were beginning to fall into the habit of using that little nickname with him thanks to Yuffie.

"Oh yeah! Wait a sec'. Be right back!" Yuffie nearly shouted into the phone, switching the line over to some poorly recorded, cheesy elevator music. By then Cloud was already on the road again, riding towards the W.R.O. Headquarters. Moments after, the phone quieted and someone took hold of the phone.

"Hey! It's me again! Now let's see if you say 'hi' this time!" Yuffie snickered.

Cloud's patience was beginning to run thin, but he kept his cool.

"Yuffie-" Cloud paused, hearing Reeve's voice coming into the background. It sounded as if the phone clattered to the ground. Briefly, he heard Yuffie whining about holding the phone right with her voice fading into the distance.

"Hello, Reeve Tsuesti head of the World Renegenesis Organization speaking," Reeve spoke clearly, with the air of sophistication. He had decided against the title of 'president' in order to avoid any association with President Shin-Ra.

"Hey, Reeve, it's Cloud-

"Oh! Hello there Cloud! I meant to call earlier, but I've been managing a very important project. Belatedly, happy birthday my friend!" Reeve bland voice rang with his own special enthusiasm.

_That _caught Cloud off guard. He had completely forgotten it was birthday. There was a brief silence as he thought about it.

_How sad is that? No wonder Tifa said I hadn't realized what today was. My own birthday—it's what I forgot. I bet she believed I'd figure it out eventually._Any consuming assumption he had about Tifa earlier in the day drifted away. He felt awful.

"Are you still there?" Reeve voice broke Cloud's thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Reeve."

"Not a problem at all. Did you and the family plan anything today?" Reeve paused suddenly. "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask what you were calling about. I was presumed it was about your birthday," he laughed.

"It's not about that. Reeve, are you expecting some documents? I have some here that I'm supposed to deliver to you. And no plans today. I didn't even remember it was my birthday 'til you said it was," Cloud said spurring the chocobo's sides.

"Really? How interesting. Ah, yes. I specifically asked them to be delivered by you…if that's not a problem. I suppose I should've asked first-

"Don't worry about it. I was just confirming it. It seemed odd. That's all."

"All's well that ends well. How soon should you be here then?"

"About an hour or two." Via chocobo from Mideel. I should've checked the slips again before I left and rented a truck. And Reeve decided to relocate the W.R.O somewhere in the mountains of Zolom area. Perfect.

"Thank you, Cloud; I'm sorry you have to go through the extra trouble-

"Just leave it to me." Cloud couldn't help his curiosity and asked. "What is Yuffie doing there?" The word nosy rang in his head.

"She just wanted to visit the new headquarters."

"Hm, I see. Well I'll see you there."

"All right, thanks again. I have to let you go now; the project is in need of my management. I'll see you then."

Cloud said his goodbye and continued on his way. So much for getting home early. Then he began to wonder why no one else had called for his birthday. Today was off to an interesting start.

* * *

><p>Finally, two hours and a lengthy battle with the fierce and slimy Midgar Zolom later, Cloud finally arrived at his final destination. The sun was beginning to set off the west; it created spectrum of color ranging from crimson shades of red to vibrant oranges. A cool breeze swept over the hills' peaks. Only a few moments after arriving, he could the familiar drone of Cid's massive airship overhead; he briefly pondered the idea of why he would be flying the Shera around this part of the world. None of my business, I still have a job to do. He hopped off the chocobo's back and tethered it to a nearby light pole. Reeve waited by the entrance, chatting with some of the security guards patrolling the perimeter.<p>

"Cloud! I was starting to get worried. I hope the journey wasn't treacherous!" Reeve smiled as Cloud approached the group.

"Not at all," Cloud said blandly, holding the documents in a manila folder with the words classified stamped on the top.

"Splendid! Splendid!" Reeve said taking the documents.

"If that's all, Reeve, I'll be leaving already," Cloud wanted to wrap up this little reunion swiftly and cut the chat to get home before dark.

And before Yuffie came out and wanted to steal his chocobo.

"Oh please, would you come in? I would like to show you the project we're working on at the moment. It may catch your interest."

"Sorry, but I have to get home before dark. You know how Tifa is about that after what happened last time-"

"Completely understandable. I'll have my men escort you home if it becomes too late. Just let her know," Reeve interjected.

Cloud sighed pulling out his cell. It rang twice, like it always did; Tifa answered.  
>"Tifa, I'm gonna be a little late." He heard her sigh and felt his shoulders sink. He hated when he said the "L" word: <em>Late.<em>

Reeve led Cloud through a series of doors and winding white-washed corridors in silence and only their steps could be heard, besides the clinging of buckles of his belts and the hum of the central air. The newly constructed building smelled of an artificial cleanliness; it was reminiscent of Shin-Ra's building; enough to make him a bit sick to his stomach, but he quickly got over it. He was already drained and sore from the bouncing ride through the grasslands and uphill climb; he just wanted to go home. He felt like he hadn't even got his day started, yet it was close to an end; he wanted a little time to relax for his birthday.

"You're pretty silent." Reeve said breaking the silence.

"Hm."

"Not the one for words, are you?" Reeve laughed.

"What else would you expect from me?"

"You have a point," he couldn't help but laugh some more.

"How long is this gonna take, Reeve?" Cloud asked checking the time on his cell phone. Almost seven o'clock. He wanted to get home and apologize to Tifa for his suspicions.

"It may take a while, but I'm not sure. That depends on you," Reeve glanced over to Cloud, grinning as if he were hiding something.

Cloud raised an eyebrow, wondering what his comment meant.

Suddenly, Reeve halted at a keypad and tapped in a series of numbers. The doors hissed open and slid to each side.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Cloud," the many voices of his friends flooded into air with near harmonious precision. Streamers were shooting from every which direction and a familiar tune rang through the air. A series of bright flashes of light pierced his vision.

_What the hell-_

Cloud could feel every sense in his being working on over-time. He was caught totally off-guard and took a step back, grabbing for the hilt of his sword, but pausing mid-way, letting his hand fall to his side. He quickly took in his surroundings. Off to his left stood Barret, Cid, and Yuffie with a digital camera snapping pictures. And to his right Vincent lingered on the fringes of the small group of friends in the shadows with Nanaki's fiery tail flickering and flicking from side to side. He caught a glimpse in between the mess of streamers a table adorned with enough food to feed a militia. He felt a smile spread across his face when he saw who was standing just a few meters directly in front of him: Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene. Immediately, the kids ran up to him; he kneeled down to give them a warm hug.

"Happy birthday, Cloud!" Marlene chimed in, wrapping her arms around Cloud's neck.

Denzel stood quietly in the background; Cloud gestured for him to get closer. Tifa gave him on small push. As soon as he was within arm's reach, Cloud pulled him in for a hug and ruffled his brown locks of hair; Marlene joined in on the fun. Both Denzel and he broke into a laugh.

"So how has your day been, birthday boy?" Tifa said crouching down to Cloud and the kids.

"Busy...but it was worth. I wasn't expecting this, Teef."

"I thought so! Come on, there's still a lot to do!" Tifa smiled taking the children's hands. Cloud nodded and stood up.

"Let's get this show on the road y'all! We've been waitin' for his sorry ass for hours!" Cid suddenly burst in.

"Yeah! What the old fart said!" Yuffie added exuberantly.

Cid shot her a quick glare but restrained from saying anything else that might broaden on her little comment even more and for the sake of the children in the room. Cloud couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he followed Tifa and the kids towards the center the room.

* * *

><p>Tifa hugged Cloud around his shoulders as they sat and listened to everyone catch up on their lives. Denzel and Marlene played with the color streamers and balloons. He felt glad that not many people were invited; he never was good with dealing with a lot of people. Although gatherings and celebrations weren't his forte, he did enjoy being a part of it all, and somehow, Cloud managed to force himself to make a contribution to the conversation at some points when he felt it was necessary.<p>

"Cid, would you mind putting out the cigarette…for Denzel and Marlene please?" Tifa asked politely sliding an ash tray over the table.

"So, how was the trip over here?" Cid sniggered in-between a puffs of his cigarette, then rubbing it out in discontent on the small plate.

"I was wondering why you all didn't just tell me to come here; the trip was long, just so you know, Cid," Cloud divulged, feeling Tifa let out a small chuckle behind him.

"Well, the certain items we needed to set your birthday surprise in motion, weren't acquired in the timely manner we needed; so we had to had to divert you for the time being," Nanaki explained.

"Yep! So, at the last minute Tifa knew your last stop was supposedly Mideel and slipped in Reeve's phony package which was all-l the way back here, giving us a bunch of time to get your surprise ready!" Yuffie expounded the scheme.

Cloud glowered for a second for having been eluded all this time and keeping him on the road for a few hours but let it breeze over his shoulder.

"So what I delivered to Reeve was just an empty folder?"

"Actually…," Reeve interjected, taking the folder from the inside his suit. "Denzel, Marlene, would you come here please?"

The children ran over to Reeve; he handed them the manila folder.

"Oh yeah, we almost forget, Marlene!" Denzel said taking the folder in hand.

"Nah-uh! I didn't forget! I wanted to let the grown-ups talk first!"

"Yeah, whatever! Come on, let's give Cloud his present!" Marlene and he ran around the table to where Cloud was seated. Both Marlene and Denzel took the folder in their hands, shoving it towards Cloud, nearly crumpling it in their excitement.

"Hm, I wonder what it could be," he began as he lifted the flap, opening it to reveal a hand-made card. He slid the card out, looking at the crayon-marker drawings on its cover. He smiled as he read it silently to himself:

_'Hi Cloud! We arint really gud at righting cards becuz we havint got to right one before but we are gonna try! Happy berf day Cloud! We hope you liek the card we made you! You are are hero and thank you for sayving us from monsters and taking care of us._

XOXO Marlene and Denzel.  
>P.S. Happy berf day again!'<p>

"Can you at least read it out loud? I wanna hear what it says!" Yuffie exclaimed as Cloud looked around the table, eager eyes waiting for him to begin.

_Guess I'm outnumbered on this one._

Cloud hemmed, hesitating for moment, looking down to the children for support and began to read the card aloud. Denzel and Marlene blushed wildly and giggled as he read. When he finished, he closed the card and held it with delicacy. The friends were smiling and began to clap, even Vincent and his metallic gauntlet joined in. The kids scurried away in embarrassment, to continue playing amongst the laughs for their timidity.

* * *

><p>"So how is the marriage comin' along, Tifa?" Barret questioned, leering at Cloud. For some reason, Cloud felt Barret would never trust him completely.<p>

"Barret, everything is fine. There's nothing to worry about. Cloud is a great man and father," Tifa chided. Barret crossed his arms as if pouting, avoiding eye contact.

"Well…well, that's good t' hear," his voice softening, in contrast to before.

"How do you feel the marriage is going, Cloud?" Reeve asked.

"Fine," Cloud simply stated.

"Fine? Fine? That's all you can say! Man, she's probably one of the greatest women you'll ever meet! Tch," Barret spat out suddenly slamming his fist against the table, standing up.

"You're one for dramatics!" Yuffie smirked.

"I wouldn't be talking, Little Miss Drama Queen," Cid chortled. Yuffie huffed, insulted.

Cloud sat quietly, his face suddenly more serious; his eyes, full of thought. Tifa looked from Barret to Cloud.

He opened his mouth to speak; when Yuffie suddenly burst out: "Come on! Spit it out already! Geez, it's been like…forever!" He threw her a glare and continued with what he was going to say.

"I can't put into words…what she and the kids mean to me," Cloud paused. "She is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I've never been happier in my whole life, without her…I wouldn't know what I'd do," he looked to Tifa thoughfully, "I love you, Tifa, with every part of my being." She smiled, pecking his cheek.

"That's what I wanna hear!"

"So besides that, you mean to tell me, you two haven't done anything yet?"

At most Cloud had expected that question to pop up with the kids when he and Tifa first got married, but they reserved themselves and decided to let it be.

Cloud nearly choked on his cake and started coughing.

"Yuffie!" Everyone shouted.

"What? It's true-that's like the first thing married couples do! Right?" Yuffie looked to Tifa as if she would rest her statement. "Even, I bet the rest of you all were wondering too!"

"Change of subject!" Tifa clapped her hands together, her cheeks blushing with the soft tint of pink. Cloud cleared his throat as he felt his face begin to glow red, remembering the morning, in embarrassment. The kids glanced towards the adults' direction but resumed playing.

A deep coarse voice broke the awkward silence; the unmistakable voice of Vincent. With a signature toss of his tattered crimson cape over his shoulder, he approached the table of friends and stood near an empty seat, arms crossed.

"Restrain yourself and your inappropriate thoughts, Yuffie," Vincent said gazing at Yuffie, as if to intimidate her. She understood his intentions and stuck her tongue out like a child; ignoring her, he turned his gaze to Cloud. "Cloud, how well does the delivery service bode?"

Cloud was quick to answer this time. "It's doing good. But traveling has been easier. Fenrir got scrapped this morning," he ran a hand through his spikes. Reeve began to whisper into his earpiece.

"Hm. Is that so? How do you feel?"

_Since when did Vincent care about how anyone felt?_

"The same…I guess," Cloud wasn't sure how to answer; he frowned slightly. "I sort of feel kinda sad, but in the end it's just a piece of metal. It did help my job a lot though."

"Speaking of which," Reeve spoke as he got up from his seat "there's something I want to show you, Cloud. Everyone follow me please."

The company stood up and began to follow Reeve to a set of double doors.

Yuffie snickered and Tifa giggled quietly. Cloud looked in their direction, catching a glance of Vincent in the mean while. _Did he just smirk?..._

_What do they know that I don't?_

Cloud felt a chill run up his spine.

The small crowd gradually fell behind Cloud, allowing him to be in the front as he followed Reeve, the children just in time to trail behind, streamers in hand. The room was similar but smelt of machinery, oil and gas. In the center, a black satin cloth was draped over delicately over with the contour of a large machine. He could feel the anticipation rising in the air and couldn't help feeling uneasy yet eager to find out why.

"What's—

"Three! Two! One! Unveil!" All the lights darkened, except for a spotlight that fell upon the mechanism as the satin was sucked into the darkness.

Cloud felt his jaw drop at the sight. It was Fenrir. Newly refurbished. Just like new. He had to restrain from running towards the polished motorcycle.

"This can't be for real…," the words escaping his mind.

"But it is! Aren't you happy?" Tifa said merrily wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Yeah…but-"

"Go take a seat!"

"What you doin' jus standin' there?" Barret shouted at him from behind.

"Sit yer ass-er…yer butt down boy!"

Cloud made his slow approach to the bike and settled himself on the leather covered seat. The motorcycle tilted at the shift of his weight and the leather creaked beneath him. He smiled at the familiarity. He ran a gloved hand over the sleek, smooth surface of the black metallic painted curve of metal. He discovered the key in the ignition and flipped on the power switch. Fenrir roared to life. It's powerful motor and exhaust droned and echoed throughout the facility. He was surprised it didn't set off any alarms.

By then the lights had already been flicked on, however Cloud had just noticed. Everyone was clapping. He closed his eyes taking it all in feeling a wave of happiness crash over him. What could make this day better than it was already? Just as easily as the motor started, it stopped. Cloud looked for the cause of why it had turned off; Tifa was holding the key

"Cloud, this isn't your only surprise. Now I have something to tell you," Tifa grinned devilishly.

"What is it, Teef?" She lent over to his ear and whispered, making goose-bumps run down his arms and neck. His eyes widened and as her looked over to her.

"Y-you-you really…are-

Cloud stepped off the bike coolly, taking her by the shoulders, and looking deeply into her eyes; his own began to water.

"This isn't a joke right?" He voice cracked.

Tifa nodded, covering her mouth to laugh silently. "You're not going to act like you did this morning, are you?"

"If don't you want me to."

"I don't mind now," Tifa giggled.

Cloud smiled, picking her up and spinning themselves around, laughing in pure happiness.

"I'm gonna be a father!"

_You know…now that I think about it…it was just a bike after all. Today, really did turn out to be 'a little' interesting._

* * *

><p>Hey everyone! This is my first fanfiction; however this IS a reupload from one I had uploaded back in October 2010...I wasn't sure how to edit the text without deleting the story and then just reuploading the editted version...anyways! Please tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate it.<p> 


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